Rumors of a potential UFC fight between BJ Penn and Ryan Hall have been swirling for a while now, and ESPN’s Ariel Helwani has now reported that this fight may be a closer reality than we’d thought.
Helwani has said that a lightweight fight between Penn and Hall might happen as early as November or December this year, although no official date has been set and no contracts have been signed. Penn is reportedly training for Brazil in preparation for the bout.
Penn, 39, is a UFC Hall of Famer member and former two-division champ. He’s lost his last five fights (the last of which took place over a year ago), but still wanted to continue his UFC career.
Hall, 33, is an accomplished jiu-jitsu athlete, having won bronze at ADCC in 2009 and numerous IBJJF championships. He won season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter, but has only fought once since then, defeating Gray Maynard in 2016.
The Jiu-Jitsu Times will provide updates on this story as they become available.
